


I Understand You

by Kira_Dattei



Series: Developing Relationship Kinktober 2018 [3]
Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 14:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16176752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Dattei/pseuds/Kira_Dattei
Summary: Nezumi is back and Shion is helping him get settled. It's not as easy as they would have liked to settle back to how comfortable they were before he left.





	I Understand You

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of my version Kinktober, with fics based around developing healthy relationships and communication.  
> This is my first work posted for No. 6, but I'm in the middle of editing a crossover fic with Nezumi and Shion heavily featured that I'll start posting soon. But I'm still settling into these guys, but they're really awesome to work with.

Shion dropped another box off in the living room, half a dozen other boxes already filling the space. And there were still plenty more to make the trip that he was getting pretty tired of making on his own. But he was supposed to have help by now.

Straightening up and then continuing to arch his spine to stretch it, his lower back letting out a low pop, he looked around the room for Nezumi. He knew he’d seen him at least start opening the boxes to get a starting point for figuring out where to put them, but now he was nowhere in sight.

Shion let out a sigh – he’d only gone out to the car and back and hadn't been gone long at all – as he realized that he’d have to rope Nezumi back in to helping.

No amount of time was too little to leave Nezumi to himself when he didn’t want to do something.

Taking one more careful look around the room and still not seeing Nezumi, Shion made his way to the kitchen to the left. He suppressed a laugh when he came around the door frame to see Nezumi lying on his back across the counter, holding a book open in his right hand over him as his left hand was pillowing his head, with his legs hanging off the end of the counter from the knees down. He looked a lot more comfortable than the short time Shion had been out of the apartment retrieving another box should have allowed.

But Shion figured nearly four years without his book collection must have been _torture_ for Nezumi.

But it was still no excuse not to help him return Nezumi’s books and other things he’d taken from Nezumi’s place to keep safe at his own home because a few years left alone would have destroyed them.

“You know we’re only about halfway done, right?” he asked. He wasn’t surprised that Nezumi didn’t even shift in the slightest to acknowledge Shion was there: he’d gotten used to that quickly enough when they’d lived together.

“It’s not my turn in the process,” Nezumi answered easily enough. “I thought we agreed: you get them to my place and then I’m required to put them away.”

“No, you offered that as an option which I made clear to have rejected when I gave you the first box. And there are plenty already inside that you should be working.” Nezumi continued to ignore him, so he changed tactics. “Out of the two of us, you’re the one more physically capable; you shouldn’t be making me do all the heavy lifting.”

When that didn’t even get a smug look for him admitting Nezumi was stronger, Shion crossed the room and turned around to lean his back against the counter at Nezumi’s side, the arm stretched up to pillow Nezumi’s head just next to his arm.

Shion just wanted to be close to Nezumi. He’d been holding himself back since the other man’s return about two weeks ago, but as the days passed and he was settling into the idea that Nezumi wasn’t going to disappear on him again anytime soon, he found himself fighting the urge a little less. He was running out of endurance to deny himself when all he wanted was to know if Nezumi felt anything towards him that he did when he’d kissed him.

He didn’t want to assume he still understood Nezumi like he once could.

Just because he’d come back and made sure Shion knew he was back didn’t mean it was because his feelings hadn’t changed.

“Didn’t you say there were more boxes?” Nezumi asked, his tone teasing.

 _That_ hadn’t changed a bit, at least.

Changing tactics again, Shion slouched a bit more. “They’re your books. Help out. I'm not living with you and having to do what I can to earn my keep anymore.” He kept up the strong demeanor for a few seconds before he had to focus on keeping from flinching away when a clump of his hair was tugged suddenly: he wasn’t used to that sort of contact anymore. He looked over his shoulder to give Nezumi a flat look.

Nezumi just shrugged at him, his eyes not leaving his book. “I didn’t ask you to keep them. You didn’t have to move them to your place only to have to move them here now.”

Shion crossed his arms and looked forward again. “Oh, well then I’ll take them back. It’s not like they would have survived the time you were gone in your old place.” Giving into the strangely teasing thought, Shion quickly turned and reached back to grab the book out of Nezumi’s loose hold. “I’ll get this packed back up and be out of your hair in no time.”

“Hey, since when are you allowed to take the book I’m reading?” Nezumi complained as he sat up and made a grab for the book. Shion was about to step away but didn’t get enough distance before Nezumi could grab hold of his bicep and pull him back in. Shion passed the book off to his right hand and let it hang at his side, out of reach of the longer arms of Nezumi.

“Apparently, they’re my books now so my rules. And I say I can take what book I want anytime. I’m also liking the idea of you having to ask for permission to read one. Your manners have always left plenty to be desired.”

This was familiar, especially in the late weeks of them living together when Shion really wasn’t intimidated at all by the harsher side of Nezumi’s attitude. Not that he’d ever been afraid of Nezumi, but he’d been better about seeing past it to the person he found more and more reasons to love. And, in hindsight, he’d realized long ago how much he actually got away with, things no one else possibly could have because Nezumi wasn’t actually very good about tolerating others.

This was as much of a test to see if he still got away with the same level of attitude.

There was a solid tug on his arm and he couldn’t help falling sideways because of it, having not expected it, stumbling back toward the counter. Instead of hitting the counter, like he’d expected, his side ran into Nezumi’s thigh as he had turned to face Shion. Shion was grateful for that little fact: he didn’t feel like dealing with the bruise that would have resulted in.

Nezumi shifted his grip, sliding his hand up to Shion’s shoulder and holding him in place. Shion straightened his posture and looked up at Nezumi, his breath and thoughts catching at being this close, looking into the slate grey eyes with so little distance between them.

“Bet you still bruise from someone thinking violently toward you,” Nezumi chided with a smirk, his voice low in a way that would be dangerous to anyone else.

It was just one way he’d been able to tease Shion relentlessly: how little it took for Shion to bruise.

“Of course I do. That’s what happens when my body’s chemistry is permanently altered because of a parasitic bee’s venom being released into my system.”

Not that Shion didn’t point this out every time; listening to Shion’s reasoning didn’t help Nezumi’s purpose so he claimed exactly what he did now: “Yeah, yeah. Like you ever did anything before leaving No. 6 that would have let you know you bruise at nothing.”

Shion didn’t have a retort this time. He was too distracted by being right there with Nezumi after nearly four years without. And Nezumi wasn’t helping: his other hand had gone to Shion’s waist and was now squeezing just a bit as if to bring Shion’s focus to the touch.

And then Nezumi’s expression got serious and Shion had a feeling he knew where this was going. After all, it had been his leading argument against getting too close to Nezumi, him feeling this.

“You hid this pretty well. You know, when people don’t have a lover to show off to, they usually put on weight. It’s not like you had much to spare, Shion,” Nezumi scolded.

Shion lowered his eyes. “Why do you always bring up ‘lovers’?” he tried to deflect, but then went silent.

Nezumi let out a sigh when he realized that was all he was going to get. “You were supposed to be alright.”

“I was! I am,” Shion defended.

It _wasn’t_ a big deal, not anymore. No. 6 had been a mess, its entire infrastructure compromised with very little change in the number of people that had to be taken care of because of the survivors from outside the wall balancing out the population lost to the bees. Supplies were limited for a long time, even with help from the other five cities. Everyone got hungry for a while. Not to mention it had taken a while for Shion to be able to accept all that had happened that day, from mass murder to Safu’s death to his own actions. Then there was the stress of his job and he just forgot to eat a lot more than he probably should. But he was at a better weight now than he’d been; it had just taken him longer than expected to start gaining again.

Realizing he’d panicked, he took in a deep breath and rested his free hand on Nezumi’s arm and said, “I am alright, Nezumi.”

Nezumi watched him, looking for weakness like he so often did. “I guess, but only if that’s not what your ribs and spine feel like in a week.”

“A week? Are you kidding me-“

Shion was cut off by Nezumi pressing his lips to his, initiating an insistent kiss. It wasn’t like the one he’d given him outside the Correctional Facility, but one seeming to convey all the things he refused to say aloud to Shion. That he missed him. That he wanted him. That he cared about him. And as fingers dug into his back to bring Shion closer, Shion needing to lean his head back a little at the change of angle, he thought he recognized his own emotions reflected, shared.

Nezumi had been holding back as much as Shion had.

Even now, it was likely that Nezumi was restraining himself. He didn’t go any further than running his tongue along Shion’s mouth, making his breathing hitch at sensations he’d never experienced.

He was still as inexperienced as he’d been when he’d kissed Nezumi the first time.

But Nezumi wasn’t inexperienced like that, so he had to be stopping for Shion’s sake. He’d done it before, adjusted to Shion’s level despite how he didn’t let anyone else influence him.

When Nezumi moved away, placing one more kiss as if an afterthought, he moved away enough to clearly see Shion’s face, the shorter man opening his eyes to follow the motion.

“You almost had me convinced I shouldn’t do that,” Nezumi groused and he was definitely adding on a put-out tone for dramatics. “Keeping a five foot radius from me at all times, talking like four years meant our time _living_ _together_ didn’t make a difference. You do that again and I’m outta here. Remember, because I’m only saying it once and you claim to have good enough memory to never forget: you’re the reason I came back.”

Shion shouldn’t have needed him to say so. He should have been past the point of needing Nezumi to open up to him. Nezumi being there should have been enough. Hopefully, he’d get the chance for all those “should”s to become habit again.

“I understand,” he replied simply instead.

Surprisingly, Nezumi gave him one of his nicer smiles, the kind that revealed he cared to some measure, the kind Shion usually only caught glimpses of towards the end of their time living together.

“Don’t worry: so do I.”

Shion couldn’t help smiling in return then. That meant they weren’t as far off as he’d been worried they were.

Then Nezumi _probably_ wouldn’t strike back or pull a knife on him.

He swung the book he’d surprisingly kept a hold of in a wide arc to come around and hit Nezumi on the back of the head with it,  then stepped away as soon as the grip on him loosened.

“Then help get _your_ books inside _your_ place and stop making me do all the work. You’re as bad as Inukashi except you weren’t literally raised by dogs as a reason for your attitude.”

He turned and walked away, glancing back just as he was about to turn the corner and laughed at seeing Nezumi standing next to the counter rubbing absently at the back of his head, looking relatively bewildered and that made it all worth any repercussions.

Shion didn’t go through the last few years leading the rebuilding of a better No. 6 without learning how to stand his ground to pretty much anyone in a variety of ways. Sure, he’d never been one to really roll over, but he’d learned different ways to stand up for himself and it made all the difference.

It did help that Nezumi had given him a good start in that regard, though. Nezumi had taught him the most important lessons he’d learned throughout his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed. There will be more No. 6 fics to come in this Kinktober.


End file.
